In situ enhancement of pulmonary surfactant function using temporary flow reversal.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome is a pulmonary disease with a mortality rate of ∼40% and 75,000 deaths annually in the United States. Mechanical ventilation restores airway patency and gas transport but leads to ventilator-induced lung injury. Furthermore, surfactant replacement therapy is ineffective due to surfactant delivery difficulties and deactivation by vascular proteins leaking into the airspace.

Lung function, radiological changes and exposure: analysis of ATSDR data from Libby, MT, USA.

In 2000, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR; Atlanta, GA, USA) investigated lung disease in those exposed to the tremolite-contaminated vermiculite mine in Libby, MT, USA. Previously unreported spirometric results are presented here in relation to exposure and radiographic findings. 4,524 study participants were assigned to one of seven mutually exclusive exposure categories.

Workplace spirometry monitoring for respiratory disease prevention: a methods review.

This report reviews methods applicable in workplace spirometry monitoring for the identification of individuals with excessive lung function decline. Specific issues addressed include 1) maintaining longitudinal spirometry data precision at an acceptable level so that declines due to adverse physiological processes in the lung can be readily detected in an individual; 2) applying interpretative strategies that have a high likelihood of identifying workers at risk of developing lung function impairment; and 3) enhancing effectiveness of spirometry monitoring for intervention and disease prevention. Applications in ongoing computerized spirometry monitoring programs are described that demonstrate approaches to improving spirometry data precision and quality, and facilitating informed decision-making on disease prevention.

A survey of size-fractionated dust levels in the U.S. wood processing industry.

A survey of size-fractionated dust exposure was carried out in 10 wood processing plants across the United States as part of a 5-year longitudinal respiratory health study. The facilities included a sawmill, plywood assembly plants, secondary wood milling operations, and factories producing finished wood products such as wood furniture and cabinets. Size-fractionated dust exposures were determined using the RespiCon Personal Particle Sampler.

Longitudinal respiratory health study of the wood processing industry.

Background: A 5-year longitudinal study examined nonmalignant respiratory effects of wood processing dust exposure.

Methods: Ten study plants, investigator selected from 447 candidate plants, included 1 sawmill-planing-plywood, 1 plywood, 1 milling, 3 cabinet and 4 furniture facilities. Personal dust samples (2363) were divided into three size fractions (extrathoracic, tracheobronchial, and respirable) which were apportioned into wood solids (WS) and residual particulate matter (RPM), and used to compute each individuals TWA exposure for the 6 exposure types.